1. Technical Field
The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for the automated backup and recovery of digital data, and, in particular, to systems and methods for storing server configuration information on one or more remote devices and for automatically locating, identifying, and retrieving the stored data for use by a replacement server.
2. Background of Related Art
Many modern enterprises depend upon information technology to achieve mission objectives, to manage administrative tasks, to build and maintain a competitive advantage in the marketplace, to ensure compliance, and to enhance security. As a result, computing devices of all types are in common business use, such as desktop computers, laptop computers, mobile devices such as tablets and smart phones, and server computers. In addition, a wide range of specialized devices are in common use, such as printers, scanners, still and video cameras, biometric devices (hand, retina, fingerprint scanners) and automated identification devices (barcode scanners and RFID devices).
Servers play a vital role in an organization's information infrastructure, because they provide the fundamental storage, processing, and communication functions necessary for the operation of the other computing devices in the enterprise. As a result, the continuous, uninterrupted availability of servers is a much-desired goal of the system administrator. This goal, however, is elusive, because failures inevitably occur due to hardware faults, software errors, or power failures. Techniques have been devised which reduce the occurrence and/or mitigate the effects of a server crash, such as the use of redundant or standby servers, server clustering, cloud computing, virtual server pools, and so forth. However, these techniques may have drawbacks, such as high cost, requiring a high level of skill to maintain, or are overkill for many small businesses. Moreover, in many instances a server may need to be replaced due to an irreparable failure, upgrade, or even theft of equipment.
Typically, when a server is deployed, the operating system and application software is installed onto the server prior to delivery to the end-user. However, before the server is placed into service, a number of configuration settings which tailors the operation of the server to its environment must be entered. Such configuration settings include network settings, user accounts, user data, application data, authentication and access control data, and information relating to other devices with which the server must communicate. Manual entry of configuration data is slow and error-prone, and relies upon the accuracy and completeness of the last recorded set of configuration parameters. Often no such record exists, because a backup was never performed, the backup device was lost or stolen, or configuration notes were lost, illegible, or incorrect.